Guillermo del Toro is bringing his vampire novel trilogy The Strain to television as a drama series, which will be run by former Lost co-showrunner Carlton Cuse. In a very competitive situation with multiple cable networks offering major commitments, FX has landed the project, ordering a pilot that will be co-written, directed and executive produced by del Toro. Co-writing the pilot script is Chuck Hogan (Prince Of Thieves), who also co-authored the books with del Toro. Lost alum Cuse will help develop the series and serve as executive producer/showrunner. Like Lost, The Strain is envisioned as having a limited run. Del Toro tells Deadline he believes the books have enough juice to fill three to five seasons of series, and that he would like to helm as many episodes as his feature schedule allows. Del Toro, Cuse and Hogan exec produce with del Toro’s long-time manager/producing partner Gary Ungar.

In the opening book of the series, the 2009 The Strain, a Boeing 777 lands at JFK with no communication or signs of life. Eph Goodweather, who investigates biological threats for the CDC, is called in and discovers all the passengers dead, and signs that a strange being had been aboard the vessel. Soon, he teams with ex-professor and Holocaust survivor Abraham Setrakian and they assemble a ragtag group that represents mankind’s only hope when a swarm of vampires quickly turn civilization into a buffet spread. Fittingly for male-driven FX, unlike the traditional, romanticized portrayals of vampires as tuxedo-clad studs, The Strain‘s bloodsuckers have no seductive powers — they are parasites, husks of their former human form with stingers that drain blood for nourishment, while spreading capillary worms that convert victims into more vampires under the control of The Master.

This marks the first time FX has committed to a drama pilot off a pitch. It also makes it a full circle for The Strain, which del Toro originally conceived as a TV series. When he couldn’t sell it, then-Endeavor agent Richard Abate, now at 3 Arts, suggested del Toro turned the idea into a book and made the introduction to Hogan. When the first book was published, the networks and studios came knocking. “We started receiving offers for movies and TV rights after the publication of the first book but we didn’t want do anything because we didn’t want that train of thought to influence the way we were writing the books,” del Toro told Deadline.

Not surprisingly given the origins of the project, del Toro said he and Hogan, who are writing a different book trilogy together, decided early on that the best way to tell the trilogy’s long story on screen was on TV. “Once the third book was published, we went back to every cable network that expressed interest, and we pitched the series,” del Toro said. “FX made the most sense, based on the level of commitment, passion and understanding of the concept of the book. They got behind the idea of making this a close-ended series; we wanted to follow the books closely and so it couldn’t be open-ended, but rather three to five seasons max.”

Del Toro feels that the initial book can cover a season, and same with the 2010 follow-up The Fall. The Night Eternal, which concluded the series, can be broken up into two seasons, he said. There are also subplots that didn’t make the book, and he’s leaving room for creative detours that develop in the evolution of the series.

Del Toro said he and Hogan will start writing the script at year’s end and prep a pilot that will shoot in September, after the director’s big summer film Pacific Rim opens in July. Like it did with American Horror Story, FX is greenlighting the pilot with additional scripts behind it, so the project can go into production on Season 1 shortly after the pilot is completed. Cuse, who also executive produces A&E’s Psycho prequel series Bates Motel, now in pre-production on a 10-episode order, is expected to run both shows concurrently. “Carlton Cuse will be a huge help in carrying this to the finish line,” he said. “He’s very well established, and a strong sounding board and producer.” As for his plan to “direct as many episodes as I can through the life of the series,” del Toro notes that time passes between movies, sometimes as long as four years. “I’d have loved to have had a series to escape to and have fun with. We have that with the world Chuck and I created, one that Carlton and I will create for TV.”

The Strain, which marks del Toro’s first greenlighted U.S. series project, was always intended for cable. “One of the reasons I wanted to be involved in cable is I love the long character arcs in these shows, and how they are slightly malleable and the way that secondary characters in the books can become more important in series,” he said. Del Toro, a pop culture junkie, considers the recent past and present pay and basic cable TV series to be a golden age. He cited everything from Luther to Sons Of Anarchy, Game Of Thrones, The Sopranos, The Walking Dead, Deadwood, The Wire, Boardwalk Empire, It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia and Justified as influences. “Creatively it is the richest field to mine a long arc of character, and I follow about 13 of these series,” del Toro said. “Not only that, but I cast much of my movie, Pacific Rim, from it.” That film stars Elba, from The Wire and Luther, Charlie Hunnam, who plays the lead in FX’s Sons Of Anarchy, as well as It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia’s Charlie Day.

In addition to three best-selling Harper Collins books and now a TV show, The Strain also has spawned a Dark Horse comic series. Del Toro is repped by WME, Hirsch Wallerstein and Ungar. Hogan, who also wrote the novel Prince Of Thieves that Ben Affleck turned into The Town, is with 3 Arts and UTA. Cuse is repped by WME and Del Shaw.

19 Comments

David Grace • on Sep 20, 2012 2:36 pm

SOOOOO EXCITED! I read each book the day they came out. It is the one book that has scared me to the point where I could only read during the day. The first book is one of the most intesnse things I have ever read. It will be perfect for FX. Perfect.

Dennis • on Sep 20, 2012 2:38 pm

First two books were great,
The Night Eternal was a MAJOR let down.

Horrible horrible ending with the whole angels thing

Temis • on Sep 20, 2012 3:15 pm

Nasty wormy vampires = The Walking Dead with fangs err stingers. Are they vampires or Borg? Either way sounds like gross fun, sign me up!

Dracula • on Sep 20, 2012 11:59 pm

I agree with you. Sign me up to watch this show. He made Blade 2 which made 155 million. That’s a huge hit for an R-Rated film. Blade 2 is also one of the most awesome vampire films ever. It’s up there with the quality of Bram Stoker’s Dracula and Interview with the Vampire. Not only that, none of the action scenes in any vampire film come close to the awesomeness of Blade 2.

The Walking Dead is a great show. That said, if he makes this half as cool as Blade 2 then it’s going to make The Walking Dead look like a silly Saturday morning cartoon.

Dennis, it’s bad form to give away plot points–particularly such an important one–to a novel that someone has not read yet or, in my case, will be reading as soon as I finish Charles Stross’s “The Atrocity Archives.”

Stross’s books would make great movies, by the way. I am surprise no one snapped up the rights.

bounder • on Sep 20, 2012 3:48 pm

Yeah, these books were warmed over Dean Koontz.

James • on Sep 20, 2012 4:30 pm

Sounds like bad news for Powers but this show sounds much more interesting.

longbowhunter • on Sep 20, 2012 4:50 pm

Dont know how much longer Sons of Anarchy is supposed to run,but they have to get Ron Perlman to star in this as The Exterminator. Have. To. That roles was written with him in mind and I can imagine no one else playing the part. Whatever it takes,he has to play Fett!!!

Apostate • on Sep 20, 2012 6:16 pm

Couldn’t agree more. I’m working my way through “The Night Eternal” right now. It’s good,though not quite as gripping as the first two. I wonder who’ll be cast as The Master. Ron Perlman? Ray Stevenson?

DougMac • on Sep 20, 2012 9:21 pm

I was disappointed with the books. the first one started off great but it was a better in concept than in execution the rest of the way. I do think there is potential for a good show in the concept though.

deece • on Oct 3, 2012 1:17 pm

Someone posted, “make the walking dead look like a Saturday morning cartoon”. Really? Can’t we just appreciate all the horror work an quit hating on a series cuz u don’t watch it. Lemme guess, u must be one of those vampire vs zombie fanatics. U probably dress an live like a vampire too. Grow up

Yesi B. • on Oct 12, 2012 11:31 am

I can’t wait!!! This will be the best show Fox will ever have!!

Eric • on Jan 6, 2013 1:01 am

I think this will be a great series- it’s written like a series. And I’ve always thought that f.Paul wilsons repairman jack books would play awesome on a cable series- I’m glad he is finally thinking that way too- now , if someone would just pick it up- anyways, always loved del toros vision- can’t wait for this

Dana • on Jan 26, 2013 8:22 am

I know I am late to the game on this,but I discovered this the day after seeing ‘MAMA’, and telling my sister about the trilogy and that she would have to read it. The books are very well done and were refreshing in the fact that it was not a ‘Twilight’ take on vampires and follows the Hogan and DelToro theme of humans as the monsters. I am very much looking forward to this series and it will most definitely be on my must watch list! BTW ‘MAMA’ was one of the best horror films I have seen in ages!

Well, well, well, it is true! I just read in the back column of the dark horse series that they landed a TV show. At first I was worried a little for budget restraints, but after reading how a slue of channels wanted them and with del Toro ‘s insanely gorified history in the special effects department I have no worries. I came about the graphic comic series very luckily randomly and have been obsessively traveling to obscure comic book shops to grab every issue! Anyway after reading The Strain some years ago now, i am thrilled to hear this news. This has the makings of a truly original blockbuster series, and I would thank the walking dead for opening up the airways for great horror TV being shown done right! I am going to put Prince Of Thieves on my To Read List and get bad sleep tonite staying up with Christmas eve night anticipation and a wild imagination…. thanks del Toro-Hogan…..ahahahh